Summer holiday diary: Week 1

Earlier in the week, over on Facebook, I decided to keep a School Holiday Diary. Of sorts.

You know, pick out the highlights of the day, that sort of thing.

Given this is a blog and that’s really what it’s for, I thought why not share it here. So here is week one…

Day 1 – Monday

The weather was pretty shit so we stayed in and attempted to sort out the big one’s wardrobe. It was a really stupid idea punctuated often with adamant, tearful refusal to ditch anything at all, even things that should have been removed two years ago and had never been worn.

The highlight of the day was doing a Big Shop because I’d reached the point where not even Ocado could help me now. Didn’t go over the top; no clothes, no booze…£126 bill. Ouchies.

Did buy hair dye though, in a shade of bright red which was selected by the big one because she thought it would make me look like Ariel. I wish hmm. I couldn’t actually think of a single reason why not because it’s not like I have a job or anything. Score.

Day 2 – Tuesday

The big one was still asleep after being up for a lot of the night after a bad dream, such fun that is, and the small one was amusing himself, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to dye my hair with aforementioned ‘Ariel-red’ dye.

Got about half of it on when a mega-tantrum started because he was unable to get a doll’s ballet outfit on over his head. This, of course, woke the big one. Then the builder wanted a word about something and so I’m basically destined to have a red forehead and half my hair dyed more than the other half forever and I also have no idea what major life altering decision I’d made by just nodding along to whatever the builder said.

We went to a local pop up cafe and had cake though, so you know, not all bad.

Day 3 – Wednesday

The day had a slow start. There was, once again, a lot of up-in-the-nightness. I even woke myself up once, hiccuping in my sleep. That was a new and interesting experience.

We went to the garden centre to gawp at the fish and paw all the toys, and I foolishly didn’t take a packed lunch so had to buy jacket potatoes and chips which were the only gluten free options. The kids ate the chips only. Meh, could have been worse.

When we had wasted as much time as we feasibly could, and the small one was about to collapse through tiredness we headed home and he fell asleep in the car. As we were driving past Riverhill, I thought oooh we should go there, so at the next roundabout I double backed and parked up.

They were doing face painting and nail art, and due to the rubbish weather they weren’t very busy. The big one was very excited and had the full works, the small one demanded his face and nails done too but didn’t really seem to understand why or be very happy about it.

We had a lovely afternoon, the rain held off, and then while I was getting the big one into her car seat the small one ‘drew’ on the car with a stone.

Day 4 – Thursday

Shipped children off to childminders to work. Revelled in the silence, ate jaffa cakes with abandon and left everything until the last minute.

Day 5 – Friday

In some kind of record breaking attempt the small one was having a nap by 10am; it’s fair to say he got up a bit too early. Prior to this we’d already had breakdowns about the colour of his spoon (not blue enough), and the colour of his nail varnish (too blue).

In the afternoon – which was due to be miserable in the way the summer holidays usually are – we braved soft play. It was surprisingly quiet; promising. That was until a small girl decided that I was her mum (I’m guessing she had the same fetching hair colour) and just would not leave me alone, and any attempts to separate her from me by her grandmother ended up with her screaming. It was impressively loud and high-pitched. I’m fairly sure everyone else there thought I was the most evil mother in the world. She’ll probably have abandonment issues for life now.

Meanwhile my own small child had been befriended by a big girl who was busy carrying him around the top level of soft play by his neck. So all standard there.